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Indie Author Spotlight, Episode 13
- S.E. Reed
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Hello! It's me (again). S.E. Reed, your favorite multi-genre Indie Author and volunteer at The Writer's Workout. Okay, so maybe I'm not your favorite, but I am an Indie Author who has made it her mission to help you find out more about others like me. Each of these episodes features a Q&A-style interview with an Indie Author so you can get to know more about them and their writing. In addition, some of the authors have chosen to participate in a 2nd interview on my website, Writing With Reed, which I'll link at the end.
Okay, so this is like super strange. I was literally accidentally stalking Christina on X the other day. Wait, wait! Don't judge me! LOL... It's not like that. I fell down a rabbit hole (fitting) and somehow ended up looking at her author page and book and other things. And then I was like, what?! I'm interviewing her!! Amazing. Kismet! Anyway, I know you'll love getting to know her too. Hugs!
I'm so excited to get to know you! Can you tell me about yourself?
I’ve been a writer my whole life, and I’ve constructed basically my entire life around words. I’ve been a journalist, a product description writer, a book outliner, a high school English teacher, and a ghostwriter, and I’m now the CEO of Wandering Words Media. We started as an editing company, but are now branching out into areas like cover design, education (I teach private fiction lessons, and we also have asynchronous classes releasing this year on editing, writing, marketing your book, etc.), and even traditional publishing (accepting submissions for our very first anthology now!).
I love working with authors nearly as much as I love being an author… nearly. My heart has always belonged to writing fiction, and it’s what I do whenever I get a free minute. I wrote my first novel when I was 12, and it’s still one of the longest things I’ve ever written at over 100,000 words. It’s, of course, not great, but that kick-butt superhero book is what made me fall in love with writing. Ever since, I’ve been enamored with creating worlds, crafting characters, and making myself cry with my own words (yes, it’s happened—don’t laugh!).
As an indie author, I’ve explored the other end of the writing process and got involved with publishing, formatting, and marketing. I reached out to local bookstores and libraries. I’ve done author events, signings, launch parties, podcast interviews, and a lot of throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.
Tell us about your writing style!
I write YA, and meander around contemporary/realistic and the fantasy space. I usually tend to write about mental illness, relationships, and reckoning with the darker parts of ourselves.
Tell us about a project you’re proud of and link it.
My debut novel, My Only Real Friend is the Easter Bunny at the Mall, published by Deep Hearts Press in 2023! I’m extremely proud of how far this little book has come. It was the first thing of mine that has been for sale in bookstores, and it never gets old finding my book on the shelves. Link: https://deepheartsya.com/my-only-real-friend-is-the-easter-bunny-at-the-mall/
Spill the tea, what are you currently working on?
Well, I just finished writing something, so I’m starting something new while I wait for feedback. Brainstorming a new project makes it really nebulous—something about a group of friends who are so close they’re practically a hive mind? Something about a haunted pizza parlor? Even I don’t know yet. I like to start with themes, and right now I’m interested in what it’s like when long-lost friends come back into your life, and the sometimes painful ramifications of that.
What is your biggest/best piece of advice for other Indie Authors?
Make writer friends, trade reads with them, and get good at both taking and giving feedback. Find humility and realize that improvement only comes through constructive criticism and continual growth. It’s painful to hear that your work isn’t done yet, but it is so, so worth working through that pain to get to the other side. To paraphrase one of my writer friends, “Scream and cry and curse my name, call me an idiot and go to sleep. Then, in the morning, take my advice.”
Who is your favorite Indie Author?
Where can someone find your work, social presence, etc. drop some links.
I post publication news on my website, and videos about writing/writing advice on TikTok and YouTube. Everything, including my book, can be found on my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/christinabagni
If you want to know more about Christina, check out her 2nd interview over on my website - https://www.writingwithreed.com/post/bonus-episode-with-christina-bagni